Plant Gifts: 20 Meaningful Plants to to Give as Gifts

Are you still stuck in the old-age tradition of gifting flower bouquets to your near and dear ones? Did you know that the industry that produces fresh flowers is quite unsustainable and one of the biggest contributors to water waste and chemical pollution? With that said, you might wonder what should I gift my boss or a friend without splurging too much. The solution? Gift a plant! There are many plant gift ideas that come with many symbolic meanings to suit different relationships.

These gifts are also sustainable, require very little maintenance which includes a splash of water, some sunshine and lots of love! The best part is that plant gifts survive for many years if you take the right care and remind people of you for a very long time.

So, if you are convinced that plants make the right gifts, then you can explore these 20 Plant gift ideas with meanings

20 Meaningful Plant Gift Ideas for Plant Lovers:

Let us now look into the top 20 plants and meanings that serve as best gifts for your friends, colleagues, family members and your partners:

1. Lucky Bamboo:

Lucky Bamboo is one of the most popular gifting ideas for its rich symbolism in Feng Shui science. The plants have many hidden meanings based on the number of stalks and their arrangement. For instance, a single stalk plant represents commitment while 9 stalks or more represent fortune and prosperity. Lucky Bamboos are quite easy to maintain and require limited sunlight. You need to place the roots in a bowl of water with some decorative stones to make it last longer.

2. Ficus Plant:

Jade is one of the most popular plant gifts as it symbolizes prosperity, growth and friendship in Asian countries. It falls in the family of succulents and gets its name from the green, shiny leaves that look like little jade stones. According to Feng Shui science, Jade is known as Money attracting plant and makes for an excellent gifting option. Jade is quite easy to maintain and require only a weekly once watering with indirect sunlight.

Peace lily is another excellent gifting plant that comes with beautiful white flowers with thick and long green leaves. This plant symbolizes purity, innocence and friendship making it an ideal gift for friends and loved ones. The best part is that Peace lily is an air-purifying plant and works well in low-light conditions too. Watering once a week and giving it some sunshine will let the plant bloom bunches of gorgeous white flowers that look like a living bouquet.

Golden Pothos is a beautiful-looking plant with heart-shaped leaves that feature green and golden yellow shades. It is a type of vine plant that can grow in any style, like a creeper that adorns a home entrance or falls from a bookshelf like a green cascade. Golden Pothos is quite low on maintenance and works wonderfully even when planted indoors. The plant gift symbolizes perseverance and longevity, which is ideal for people who dream big.

NOTE: Golden Pothos is toxic to pets

6. Philodendron:

Philodendron refers to a large group of different varieties of plants that share similar characteristics like thick and large leaves. The Red Imperial is a popular gifting plant from the Philodendron family which has closely-packed, reddish-green leaves and red nodes. The easy-to-grow plant offers the best air-purifying benefits and adds a tropical flair to a room. It symbolizes beauty, health, abundance etc., and using it as a gift indicates that the other person is quite beautiful.

NOTE: Philodendron is toxic to pets

7. Snake Plant:

If you are looking for a hardy plant gift that even a beginner can grow easily at home, then try giving Snake Plant. It is an ideal indoor plant that can filter out toxic pollutants from air and convert carbon-dioxide to Oxygen at nights. Apart from its air-purifying benefits, snake plant also looks beautiful as a home décor element. The plant symbolizes cleanliness and good luck, according to Feng Shui science. The care guide is pretty simple for this plant. Just allow the soil to do completely dry before watering again.

Chinese Money Plant is a type of indoor plant which symbolises wealth, prosperity and good fortune. It makes for a perfect gifting option for people who are starting out a new business or a venture and symbolically wishes them good fortune. The plant looks quite cute with round, green leaves that look like mini pancakes. Since the plant is sensitive to harsh heat, you must place it under indirect sunlight and water when the soil does dry. A monthly fertilizer will encourage new leaves and pretty flowers too.

Succulents are drought-resistant plants which can grow even in the most neglected conditions. They have soft leaves of different shapes and colors which store water for survival. These plants symbolize loyalty and endurance and makes for a perfect plant gift for friends and loyalists. The ideal way to water a succulent is by wetting the soil slightly instead of soaking the roots. Place them under direct sunlight as the plants prefer warmer temperatures.

Bird's Nest Fern makes for a beautiful indoor plant gift thanks to its rich foliage and unique leaf formation. The leaves form from the center of the plant to resemble a bird's nest. They have a light-green color with a crinkled appearance and lend tropical vibes. The plant requires optimum humidity and light. So, you can place them in areas like bathroom window or balcony sill where there is enough moisture and warmth. Gifting this plant symbolizes an evergreen, smooth relationship with the other person.

11. Aloe Vera:

Aloe vera is a type of succulent plant which is hailed for its medicinal benefits. The plant symbolizes healing and protection, making it an excellent gift for people with any ailments or health aspirants too. Aloe vera is a hardy plant and quite easy to grow. It does very well in bright, indirect sunlight and requires watering only once in three weeks. So, if you are looking for plant gift for someone you truly care, then try Aloe vera!

12. Carnation Plant:

Carnation is a thoughtful plant gift for Valentine's day or anniversaries as it symbolizes love and affection. The meanings and interpretations vary with the color of the flower. For example, dark red indicates love while pink represents gratitude. Carnation plants grow beautiful flowers which are widely used in commercial bouquets. The plant demands 6-8 hours of full sunlight and water when the soil completely drains out.Make sure that the pot has good drainage channels to prevent the roots from rotting.

Rose plant is easily one of the most popular plant gift options for occasions like birthday, anniversaries etc. Rose comes with many symbolic meanings like love, friendship, gratitude, beauty, purity etc and the interpretations vary with the color of the flower. So, check for the right color code before you buy into the intended person. Rose care guide is simple as the plant requires full sunlight with regular water and pots with good drainage channels. You can also add little fertilizer to encourage better blooms.

Lavender is an aromatic plant which grows lavender color flowers that emit a sweet fragrance. The leaves and flowers offer many health benefits like alleviating stress and chronic pain along with inducing quality sleep. The Lavender plant symbolizes relaxation and comfort and works as a wonderful gift for people who need to de-stress. It also implies feminine beauty and can be gifted to graceful, elegant women you admire. The plant demands full sunlight and watering once or twice a week.

Rosemary is a medicinal herbal plant which makes for a perfect plant gifting option for friends and herb enthusiasts. The plant symbolizes love, faithfulness and remembrance, so it can be used as a gift between partners or lovers to mark their relationship. You can also gift this plant to honour someone for their good deeds in the past. The herbal plant thrives well outdoors in full sunlight and requires watering twice a week. It can also grow well indoors provided there is ample sunlight.

16. Bonsai Plants:

Bonsai plants are one of the most prized plant gift ideas for weddings, birthdays and special occasions. These miniature plants denote love, gratitude, prosperity and familial ties. The meanings and symbolism can get deeper with the species of the plant. Bonsai plants add a focal point to a room and can thrive forever with regular care and maintenance like misting of leaves, pruning etc. The exact care guide varies based on the plant type and professional help for wiring or repotting is highly recommended.

17. Cactus Plant:

Monstera Deliciosa is a beautiful-looking indoor gift plant that adds a tropical flair to any living room. The plant symbolizes family, respect and longevity, making for an ideal gift for someone who respects their family. Monstera usually grows large leaves with natural holes and thrive well in shady, warm and humid areas. Since it is a climber, using a trellis can offer good support. However, before buying the plant, make sure that the receiver has enough space to accommodate it as Monstera is notorious for growing quickly in large sizes.

19. Prayer Plant:

Prayer plant symbolizes devotion and focus, making it one of the best spiritual plant gifts for your near and dear ones. Also, the changing leaf patterns of this plant symbolizes an organized and disciplined life which goes as per a planned schedule. Prayer plants have great ornamental value and sit pretty in any corner of your home. The plant prefers filtered bright light and low light conditions with a little warm water when the soil goes dry.

20. Orchids:

Orchid plants make for one of the most luxurious plant gifts for lovers, weddings and birthdays. Orchid symbolizes love, beauty, luxury, and mature charm and suits as a perfect plant gift idea to celebrate a person's important milestones. The best part is the many color options to choose from, with each color denoting a rich meaning. To help the plant thrive well, you must place it under bright sunlight and feed it weekly with fertilizers like orchid mix. A little care will enable the plant to bloom well and remind the other person of you.

Those are some of the best plant gift ideas for birthday, weddings, and casual purposes for various occasions. With such rich symbolism, health benefits and eco-friendly nature, plants make for the best gifts ever! So, time to embrace the new trend and replace traditional gifts with different types of plants and inspire others to follow the same suit.